GLENDALE, ARIZONA --- The National Hockey League announced today that Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney is the winner of the inaugural NHL General Manager of the Year Award for 2009-10. Voting for this new award was conducted among the 30 Club General Managers and a panel of NHL executives, print and broadcast media at the conclusion of the regular season.

Maloney accepted the award in front of his peers at the NHL General Managers meeting held annually during the Stanley Cup Final. Maloney, George McPhee of the Washington Capitals and David Poile of the Nashville Predators were identified as the three finalists for the trophy last month.

Maloney, in his third season as General Manager of the Coyotes, steered the club through an uncertain and turbulent off-season, charting the course for the most successful regular season in franchise history. His biggest move was hiring head coach Dave Tippett, who guided the Coyotes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2002 by posting a 50-25-7 record for 107 points and setting franchise records for wins, points and home wins (29) in a season.

Maloney added several players to the Coyotes roster over the summer, acquiring Radim Vrbata, Sami Lepisto, Lauri Korpikoski and Jim Vandermeer through trades while signing veteran free agents Adrian Aucoin, Vernon Fiddler, Jason LaBarbera, Taylor Pyatt and Robert Lang. Those players joined a veteran core that already included the likes of Shane Doan, Ed Jovanovski, Zbynek Michalek and Ilya Bryzgalov.

With the Coyotes already enjoying a breakout season, the acquisitions of forwards Lee Stempniak, Wojtek Wolski and Petteri Nokelainen plus defensemen Derek Morris and Mathieu Schneider at the Mar. 3 trade deadline propelled the club to even greater heights as Phoenix won nine consecutive games following the trade deadline (Mar. 4-21) to tie a club record. Stempniak was named the NHL’s First Star for the Month of March after leading the League with 13 goals in 14 games following his acquisition while Wolski recorded 18 points (6-12-18) in 18 games with the Coyotes.

Maloney, 51, completed his third season in Phoenix after joining the Coyotes on May 29, 2007 following 10 years in the front office of the New York Rangers.